


Something Is Missing

by axolotlNerd



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom, Skyhill, Starbomb, The Northern Hues (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Gen, How Do I Tag, I CANT BELIEVE I EVEN NEED TO TELL YOU THIS, NO AMELIA IS NOT GOING TO DATE DAN YOU FUCKOS, No ones gonna read this rip, Where suddenly dan knows about his kid whos been abused for 10 years, mentions of child abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-01-08 15:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12257562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axolotlNerd/pseuds/axolotlNerd
Summary: It was cold, rain whistling through the November thunderstorms, when she found him. And there she stood, beaten, helpless, bruised on his doorstep.Adjusting to a good life is near impossible after living in your personal hell for so long. And though Dan wants her to be happy, he can't do it alone.





	1. Familiar Faces Caught In The Rain

The crash of thunder awoke him, making him jump up from the couch shaking. Some nightmare, basic but it had still shook him. He glanced at the television, where he’d left his movie playing before he’d fallen asleep.

_Something is missing._

Though this was the same living room he had lived in for so long, the same movies and the same blankets and pillows, something felt off. Something was missing, and it was weighing down his back, leaning against him, draped over him like a sheet made to hide something. He shifted on the couch, trying to see if it was the weight of the blankets on him that made him feel like this. Nothing changed.

_Something is missing._

This wasn’t an abnormal thought. Sometimes he’d get these strange, physical sensations - something like wings on his back, either trying to lift him up high into the air or weigh him down like a ball and chain. He didn’t know why it happened, but every time he noticed it, the same thought ran through his head.

_Something is missing._

He couldn’t ignore the feeling anymore. He sat up from his spot on the couch, stretching and hoping those imaginary wings were too. In nothing but a loose pair of shorts and too-big t-shirt, he made his way to the bathroom, listening to the rumble of thunder and pitter-patter of rain on the roof.

It was odd, but sometimes a check in the mirror made him feel a bit better when being held to the ground like this. He attempted to smooth down his wild and dark hair, rubbed his stubble-covered face, washed it with cold water - anything to take this suddenly dreadful feeling away.

Thunder crashed loudly once again. He made his way out of the bathroom, rubbing the water off his face with his forearm. Glancing at the clock, he sighed. _3:27 AM._

**Something is missing.**

Thunder boomed overhead as the knocking started. First it was light, and he paused to stare at his front door. Surely no one was knocking at this hour?

But then it came again, more insistent as the rain came down harder. He didn’t like to admit to feeling emotions in these little actions, but as it continued, it grew more desperate and almost like a prayer waiting to be answered, it was repeated. Louder.

He walked up to the door, feeling the cold November wind pass through him as he cracked it open. He looked through, seeing a small and thin figure standing in front of him, almost ghostly with the way she stared up at him. He looked down at the figure, watching them as they dropped their arm that had been knocking, favoring to grip their arm in the cold wind.

Lighting stuck, lighting up her face; she was a faded shade of tawny where she wasn’t bruised or cut, and blood ran down the side of her face. Wide brown eyes full of tears stared up at him, and she moved her hand to pull her hood farther down, as if she was ashamed of her beaten face.

Her lip quivered before she spoke; he knew she was crying, but it came back in a harder wave before she gave herself a moment, just a second to catch her breath before speaking.

“Are you Dan Avidan?”

 

Now here she was. A short, stick thin young girl sitting in his bathroom sink just under the light. Dan had given her a towel to wrap around her soaked shoulders, hoping it would warm her under her thin red hoodie. Though she had been reluctant at first, he eventually convinced the girl to take off her hood so he could fully see her face; and all the cuts and bruises that littered it.

Anger had immediately sparked up in him. This girl couldn’t possibly be older than twelve, who would do this? Was it a mugging? Or were bullies getting so bad as to take kid’s lunch money at three in the morning?

Though he had a million questions, the girl seemed to want to stay silent as Dan cleaned her cuts. The sound of rain and thunder outside was almost never interrupted, and when it was, it was Dan. “This might sting a little bit,” He’d say, padding hydrogen peroxide on the thick cut that split her eyebrow. “Are you okay?” He’d ask after, to which she’d respond with a small nod.

She was not okay. _This_ was not okay.

As soon as he’d gotten her face littered with bandaids instead of bruises, he sat the young girl on the couch, giving her a blanket and a cup of water. She sat there, staring into the cup as Dan sat on the recliner across from her.

“I know I’m not getting away without explaining to you first, just so you know. I’m not that stupid.” She started with, her gaze not moving from the cup of water she held.

“I didn’t think you were. Stupid, that is.” Dan replied. He sat in silence with the girl for another moment, letting her lift the cup to her chapped and bloodstained lips to drink the water. She must have realized how thirsty she was, because she began to chug the rest of the cup. “Are you okay?” He asked once again. The girl smiled after finishing the glass.

“You say that a lot, you know that?” Her voice was soft and fragile, trying not to break the sound of rain.

“You show up at 3 in the morning looking like you just got mugged, I don’t really know what else to say.” He said with a small laugh. The girl smiled too, meekly and quickly fading. “If you don’t mind me asking, who are you?”

She paused at this, looking into her now empty glass. “Do you remember Jenna Moore?” She asked eventually. Dan did, vividly. She had been a girlfriend of his for a while some ten years ago, but then she had ghosted him - completely fell off the map.

Dan nodded in reply.

“I’m her kid. She- Um, you…” The girl seemed at a loss for words. She didn’t know how to explain it, didn’t want to. “My name’s Amelia Avidan-Moore. From what I’m told, you’re my father.”

Dan couldn’t process it at first. No, he couldn’t be, he was never told, he never even knew- What happened? His thoughts were racing back and forth trying to process what he heard. No, it couldn’t be, but no it had to be, but everything was confusing and suddenly coming in a rush, he didn’t know what to do all of a sudden.

“Wait, I’m sorry, you-” He stopped, trying to piece it together. Amelia didn’t even let her gaze move, waiting for an answer. A real answer. “I never knew, no one ever told me, why…” He trailed of.

“I know. She wanted it that way. That’s why she left. She didn’t know what to tell you when she got pregnant, so she ran off.” A thought nipped at the tip of her tongue, wanting to come out but she didn’t let it.

Dan took a deep breath, and even though every part of him was telling him to stand up and run and get this sudden panic out of him somehow, he stayed put. Breathing deeply to keep himself calm, even if it was just for the moment. “So… What happened? Why aren’t you with her right now?”

Amelia seemed to freeze up at this. She didn’t move, but her body got more tense, trying to word it right. “It was kind of… Complicated? Or- It’s-” She stuttered for a moment, eyes beginning to dart around, thinking, thinking. The answer came to her, and she looked up to Dan somberly. Her eyes were a warm but guarded brown, lit up by the blue light of the television flickering silently to her side. She pointed a finger to her face as she spoke. “My parent did this to me.”

Dan felt his heart drop into his stomach, rage filling him almost immediately. _What sick kind of parent would do this to their daughter? What cruel, sadistic, unstable fuck-_ His thoughts were interrupted by Amelia speaking once again, quiet and under her breath.

“I don’t know what to do.” Her voice was quivering, pitched slightly higher with the tears she was shedding as she looked back down. “Just… _Please_ don’t send me back there.”

She sounded so small, so scared and hurt that Dan felt panic come back. He stood up, moving over to the trembling girl and carefully moving to sit next to her. “No, I won’t let the happen,” He said, feeling the sadness and rage mix together inside of him. Maybe it was too hasty to say it. “I promise, you don’t have to go back there, not if I have a say in it.”

With a sigh of trembling sobs, Amelia seemed relieved. Her chest shook as she breathed, trying to stop crying, screaming at herself, _stop crying, stop crying, stop._

Dan couldn’t tell what was happening in her head, so he did something he’d done with many other sad people. “Can I give you a hug?” He asked softly. At Amelia’s small nod, he carefully wrapped his arms around the girl, letting her stifle her sobs.

She calmed down after a moment, breathing in and out calmly.

“Do you mind if I ask just a couple more questions?” He asked carefully. Amelia squirmed out of Dan’s arms, scooting away a small bit. She shook her head. “How did you get here? From where?”

“I walked from San Fernando. I’m ten, how else was I supposed to get here?” She said rhetorically. Dan wiped a hand down his face.

“That’s so dangerous. That’s a five hour walk, you just… Okay, new rule for the house, don’t do that again. Ever.” Amelia looked at him, rebellion in her eyes.

“You can’t tell me what I can’t do, you’re not-” She stopped herself, glaring at him. “Nevermind. You are.”

“What?” Dan asked, smiling. “No, you want to finish that?”

“Shut up!” She said, her cheeks turning red. “Just say your next question, broccoli-brains.” Dan let out a hearty laugh, glad that the mood was lightening up.

“Okay. It’s late, you just walked for five God damned hours, you need to sleep. I can lend you some pyjama pants so you can get out of those jeans, and then tomorrow we’ll pick you up some clothes and get this all figured out, okay?”

Amelia nodded. Dan stood up and went to his room, rummaging through drawers and looking for something that would fit the small kid. He sighed with relief when he found a pair of leggings, probably left behind by Suzy or Holly one way or another.

He brought them out to the girl that sat on his couch, and she was almost asleep where she sat. He carefully tapped the couch next to her, waking her up and giving her the leggings and a random t-shirt he picked up.

“I’ll hang your hoodie up and throw it in with the next wash of laundry. You can take my bed.” He offered. Amelia shook her head.

“No, no, it’s fine. I can just sleep out here, really it’s-” She tried.

“You need it more than I do.” He insisted. Amelia considered for a moment, then sighed and took the clothes, silently agreeing to Dan’s terms. She walked to the bathroom, coming out with her clothes in hand. She didn’t say anything as she put them on the floor outside of Dan’s room, pausing at the doorway.

“I’m really sorry.” She said quietly. “I know you’re an adult, and you’re busy, and this is really, really sudden, and I’m sorry.”

“Amelia,” Dan started. “I don’t care if this is sudden. You clearly need it more than I need my adult things. But what you also really need, is sleep. It’s past four o’clock. Go to bed, and we can figure things out in the morning, okay?”

“Okay.” She replied with, voice tired. “Thank you. Goodnight, Dan.”

“Goodnight, Amelia.”

And with that, she went into the room, and clicked the door shut quietly.

 

“What’re you doin’, Dan? It’s 4:30, why are you calling?” Arin didn’t sound quite annoyed, but he was sure as shit tired.

“Yeah, sorry about that. It’s just, uh, kind of an emergency.”

“What kind of emergency?” He asked. Dan shifted awkwardly.

“So, um… Long story short, I found out I have a kid and I need to take custody of her immediately.” Dan explained quickly. Arin paused, and then shuffled, probably moving out of bed.

“Could you, uh… Make that short story a bit longer?”

Dan laughed at this. “Well, a girl came to my door like an hour ago, and she was… It looked like she got hit by a car. And she said that one of my old girlfriends is her mom, and I’m her father. Basically her mother is fucking insane and beat the shit out of the kid, so now I gotta take custody.”

Arin took a moment to process this. “Okay, but don’t you think that’s a bit rushed? What if-”

“It doesn’t matter ‘what if’, Arin. Even if I’m not her father and she got the wrong guy, her mother beat the shit out of her. I can not let a ten year old go back to that bullshit.” At that, he couldn’t help but wonder. How long had it been like this? How long had she had to deal with this before she finally left?

“I’m surprised at how well you’re taking this.” Arin said with a sigh.

“‘Panic’ isn’t exactly an option at this moment. She’s already scared as it is, I gotta keep my cool for at least a couple days.” He explained. “I just… Needed to talk to you about it. To keep me grounded.”

“No, dude, I totally get it.” Arin replied with. “This is… Fucking insane, bust you know me and Suzy are here for you, yeah?” Dan hummed in reply. “We’ll come over first thing in the morning and help you figure this out. You should really get some sleep, though.”

“Yeah. Thanks again, and sorry to wake you up.” He said, sleepiness starting to taint his voice.

“Goodnight, see you tomorrow.” Arin said before hanging up. Dan pulled the phone away, looking at the screen before it shut itself off. He sighed, moving from his spot in the kitchen where he stood to fall onto the couch.

He pulled the blankets around him, thinking. That missing feeling, the one weighing him down from the spot where wings should have grown, was gone. He sighed, letting himself sink into the couch and fall asleep.


	2. If I Had Known

Dan slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the yellow morning light. He groaned lightly as he stretched on the couch, feeling his joints crack into place as he turned over and grabbed his pillow, happy to just relax in the sound of fading rain that continued outside.

He breathed in sharply, then sat up, looking around sleepily. As he did, he slowly remembered the events of last night, looking at the clothes in front of his bedroom door and empty cup on the coffee table.

After standing up and stretching, he silently snuck into his room. He made his way around sleeping Amelia, grabbing clean clothes from his dresser and then heading back to the door.

Before he made his way outside of the room, though, he stopped to look at the sleeping kid. Now that light was streaming through the window, it made sense that this little girl could be his kid. She had the same dark, wild curls, cut short at her shoulders and frizzing out in a halo around her head on the pillow case. She had darker skin than Dan, and freckles dotting the space across her nose, but she had the same shaped face as him.

_ Though, _ Dan thought, _ it’d be easier to see her if she hadn’t been beaten to shit. _

Dan shook off the morbid thought, turning to quietly leave the room. He quickly rinsed off in the shower, trying to be fast and quiet as to not wake Amelia in the next room over. He quickly got dressed, and as soon as he did, his phone buzzed. Arin.

_ > Are you awake yet? On my way to you _

Dan smiled at the text, grateful his friend hadn’t forgotten his promise to come. But then again, it was Arin, he’d never forget something this important.

The small  _ click _ of a door got his attention. He turned, looking to see Amelia poking her head through, searching around as if she was expecting something to jump out at her. When her eyes reached Dan’s, they locked, a mixture of fierceness and defensiveness as she stared him down for a moment.

“Good morning.” Dan said, feeling somewhat awkward. “You want breakfast? I make mean pancakes.” He offered a smile to the short kid.

“…Sure.” She sounded much bigger than she looked, not anything like a normal ten year old. She sounded so much more mature. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“To your right. Just so you know, I have a couple of friends coming over in a little while. Then we can go and buy you some clothes and groceries, ‘kay?” He kept his voice soft, trying to sound comforting to the girl. Maybe part of him pitied her, felt bad for her and regretted that he’d never known because if he had this never would have happened.

If he had known, maybe he could have seen what Jenna was doing to her sooner. 

If he had known, he could have taken her away the first time it happened. 

If he had known, he never would have had to watch heartbrokenly as he saw what possibly years of this had done to her, making her defensive and angry where she should have been a happy and ignorant little kid.

“Yeah, whatever. I got time to take a quick shower?” She asked, playing with the hems at the bottom of her long-sleeve shirt.

“Yeah, take your time. Feel free to use the shampoo and conditioner I have in there.” Amelia nodded and walked into the bathroom, and with the  _ click _ of the lock and sound of running water, it was quiet once more.

Dan sat in the kitchen, scrolling through his phone as he waited for Arin. He smiled at the small knock on his door, going to it and seeing Arin’s slightly worried face there.

“Okay, where’s the kid?” Arin asked immediately. Suzy laughed behind him, butting her way passed him and into the house, putting down a plastic bag filled with clothes.

“Thank you guys so much for coming, I know this is sudden and crazy but…” Dan trailed off. Suzy smiled at him. 

“It’s just as crazy for you as it is for us. So, I brought some pairs of leggings because I don’t think I have any jeans that’ll fit her, but I mostly brought shirts and then this one coat that’s too small for me, is there-” She rambled before Dan stopped her.

“It’s fine, Suze. I was planning on going clothes shopping for her anyways, we can head to Goodwill and grab a bunch of cheap stuff for now. First, we should wait for her to get out of the shower and then we can make breakfast.” He comforted. She smiled.

“Great,” Arin started. “I’m starving. And while we wait, do you think you could explain a bit more?”

 

“Jesus.” Arin breathed, sitting at the small kitchen table with Suzy leaning onto him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “God, I… I don’t even know what to say. Who the hell does that to their own kid?” He said, exasperated.

Dan nodded in agreement. 

“What do we have to do to get her in your custody?” Suzy asked.

“I was reading up on some stuff while I was waiting for you guys, and from what I found it seems, I’ll be able to take custody fast, since I’m her dad. They’ll need to prove I’m her father, but that just means a DNA test and then it’ll be fine I think. They might also want to do an investigation here, see that I’m fit to be a parent?” Dan explained.

“Well, you have a steady income, and she came to you first. They’ll want to get her with you before they turn to a foster home.” Suzy said. Dan simply nodded in agreement.

They heard the bathroom door click open, and Dan stood up to see Amelia peeking out of the bathroom door. She had a towel lazily thrown on top of her head, and was back in the same clothes she had first arrived in. She stepped out, walking into the kitchen to see Arin and Suzy at the table.

“Oh.” She said. “You’re Dan’s friends.” She sounded apathetic, but looked distrusting.  _ Reasonably, _ Dan thought.

Despite her sneer, Suzy beamed at the small girl. “You must be Amelia. I’m Suzy, and this is Arin, my husband and Dan’s best friend. I brought a bag of clothes for you, but a lot of them might not fit so feel free to try on what you want.” She held out the bag, offering it.

Amelia stared up at Suzy, scanning her for a moment. She took the bag cautiously. “Yeah. Thanks.” Though she still looked at Suzy with suspicion, Suzy held her stance with her optimistic attitude.

“Okay, who’s up for pancakes?” Dan asked enthusiastically. Arin cheered him on happily.

Normal banter sparked up quickly, Dan taking charge of cooking while Arin and Suzy joked with Amelia. She sat at the table, sitting on her hands and chatting with the two adults and letting out the occasional smile. Though Dan had been worried about her being uncomfortable, she seemed to be fine.

Dan put down the plate holding pancakes, then turned to the fridge and pulled out a few containers with fruit in them while Suzy helped grab plates and forks for everyone.

Amelia watched as the table was set up, staring with a mixed look on her face. She looked some mix of confused and awed at the display of food being placed around her.

When everyone had their food in front of them, Dan sat down to take a minute to relax as Amelia cautiously took a pancake off the stack. “Take as much as you want,” he commented, to which Amelia’s eyes widened.

“Okay. Thanks.” Her voice was quiet and shy once again as she poured some syrup on the pancake, grabbing a few pieces of fruit to place on top as well. Though the adults were all talking, Amelia didn’t seem to be listening, too concentrated on her food to make conversation.

Dan was the first to stop eating. “Okay, I give up. I’m full.” At his words, Arin jumped to look at Amelia playfully.

“Bet I can eat more than you.” He said, challenging the girl.

“Fuck that! You’re on, fuzzy-face!” She said, adamant in her tone. Arin smiled at her cursing, laughing lightly.

“Whoever eats more pancake wins!” He declared. Amelia didn’t even take the time to respond, diving into her food with clear determination. This was such a stark difference from herself not even fifteen seconds ago that Dan was stunned.

“You’re gonna give yourselves stomach aches!” Suzy exclaimed, sounding concerned but looking happy and amused. Dan smiled at the scene, taking out his phone and taking a picture. Just to save this moment for a little while longer.

Not long after that, Arin won the contest. Amelia had dramatically sat back in her chair admitting defeat. She glared as her opponent offered a fist bump, but held a small smile on her face as she returned the gesture.

“You ready to go shopping?” Dan asked.

Amelia stood up, standing proudly and ready. Now that her hair was dry, it was practically standing on it’s end in it’s frizzy mess. She smiled widely, and as she did, Arin smiled back at her.

“Let’s go!” She said, marching towards the front door. Arin stood up next to Dan.

“She’s really you’re kid, huh?” He prompted, walking with his friend to the door.

“I mean… Yeah.” Dan replied with thoughtfully.

“She looks a lot like you. I mean, that beast of hair?” Arin laughed. Dan smiled with him.

“Yeah, totally. I… I really hope she’ll be happy here. With me as busy as I am.” He said. He watched as the girl stood in the driveway, trying to act like she knew which of the two cars to go to.

“I know she will. And when you can’t be here, me and Suzy and Ross and everyone will be here for her. And Brian is a father too, he’ll know how to help better than most of us.” Arin reassured.

Dan started to feel confidence bubbling in his chest as he got into the driver’s seat. Amelia followed, climbing into the backseat with Suzy as Arin grabbed the AUX cord and plugged it into his phone.

“What kind of jams do you like?” Arin asked, turning to the kid. She thought for a moment.

“Uh, anything’s fine with me. Whatever you guys like.” She answered, tucking her hands between her legs.

Dan started driving as a calming melody played, the band he could not remember but the song he did. For all the anticipation and excitement of the morning,  _ Sylvester Stallone _ brought him a warm sense of hope. As he drove silently, he looked in his mirror and saw Amelia there, head leaned against the window as her tawny tone glowed warm in the sunlight, nothing like the faded and scared paleness she had last night.

She was a strange kid, one part scared and two parts abrasive and ninety-seven parts lost. Seeing the young girl’s eyes dreaming as they flickered over the scenery they passed, Dan felt this jolt of something in him.

It was strange, how he suddenly wanted to protect this girl so bad. Maybe it was at seeing the band aids she’d reapplied after her shower, or maybe it was seeing her so cautious to enter every room and look so suspicious at Suzy. Or maybe, somewhere deep inside him, his body knew that this was his kid and he knew he had to protect her from anymore harm than had already been done to her.

Or maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe it was much simpler, as easy as the fact he could never bring himself to help someone who needed it. Or maybe there was some higher power trying to make this happen.

He eventually resigned, giving into listening to the calm music around him. He glanced at Amelia once again, dreaming to the tune of the trees that passed by.

If he had known, maybe she would have looked a bit happier in her dream world.


	3. just stop and look for a minute.

Sometimes I wish it had been worse. Before I went to Dan’s, that is. I feel like it would have made me feel okay about feeling so haunted. If It had been worse, if I had escaped the brink of death by someone’s hands, maybe I would have felt okay being so affected by it.

But it wasn’t worse. And I  _ should _ be grateful for it. But it feels wrong.

I’m not quite sure what felt wrong, at first. Maybe it was that I escaped eight years early, or maybe it was that I had lost my sense of family and belonging so long ago that it felt foreign. Maybe it was that I didn’t have it that bad, compared to others. Because other people had it worse, and I knew that.

The thing is, I left out details. I didn’t tell Dan the whole story because it was weird and complicated and I thought I was already giving him enough trouble. Abuse does crazy things to you. Neglect makes your story weird and complicated. Sometimes, just existing is the best you can do.

 

I don’t know a lot about Jenna. The truth is, I don’t know enough about her to tell if she’s a good person or not. I never did. I only ever mentioned to Dan that she was my mother, and I don’t know what he assumed when I told him that.

But I remember one thing about Jenna. One burning detail that makes everything about this situation twist in my stomach like nausea in the fall when you catch the yearly flu.

I couldn’t have possibly been older than three. I was crying, and I don’t remember why. I think if I could just remember that, I’d put something else together, but I know it’s just another useless detail I lost about my mother a long time ago. Another useless detail about me.

And Jenna was there. She hushed and shushed me, begging me to be quiet because she was exhausted from work and wanted to sleep. I was held on her lap, and in one hand, she held an owl-shaped beanie baby, and with the other she held me close to her.

I reached out to the stuffed toy, but my hand were small and barely held the cloth that held it together.

Jenna stroked my hair, and with tear-filled eyes I looked up at her. She looked so sad, just like I was. And I don’t think I knew why. At least, I can’t recall it now.

“Amelia,” she spoke softly. “Calm down. I’m here for you.”

And in that moment, she was. For that one moment, so, so long ago, she was there and she cared.

 

In that moment, I think I felt loved.


	4. Don't Give Up On Me

Dan had meant to tell Amelia that they were going to the police station first. He had completely forgot to mention it to her, and now that they were standing in front of the building and it’s blue lights, he felt guilt creep in.

“No! No, fuck this, I can’t do this. I am  _ not _ going in there!” Amelia said, pacing back and forth. Dan knelt down to her level, trying to catch her eye as he spoke.

“I know, Amelia, I know it’s scary but we have to do this. We can’t do anything if you’re listed as a missing person.” He explained. Amelia stopped for a second, standing and looking right into Dan’s eyes. She had this burning look of fear, the same one she had held in her stance last night, beaten in the rain.

She spoke with a shaking whisper and a tone that made Dan want to protect her more than anything.

“Cops  _ hate _ brown kids.” She sounded so small, so afraid. Dan reached over to her, carefully placing a hand on her shoulder. She pushed his gesture away. “What if they don’t believe me? What if they send me  _ back? _ Fuck, Dan, what if-” She stopped short, turning to hold her arms as if she were cold in the sun of November.

Arin approached the two, sitting down on the ground next to Dan and Amelia. He got the girl’s attention and calmly asked her to sit down with him on the sidewalk. 

“Listen, Amelia,” He said, his voice calm and comforting. “We won’t let anything happen to you. We’re going to fight tooth and claw to get you in our custody, but we can’t do that if we don’t go in there. You gonna be okay?” He asked kindly.

Amelia looked into her lap, breathing deeply. “Yeah. Let’s… Let’s go.” She pulled herself off the ground, Arin standing up next to her. Dan stood up too, mentally preparing himself to walk into the station. 

He felt Amelia’s small and warm hand reach up to his, and looking down, he saw the girl staring at the ground, reaching her hand up and looking more as if she was offering it than asking. Dan held her hand, and at that, she seemed a little less tense.

Together, they all walked into the station. Dan felt nervousness in his gut as he approached the counter. “Excuse me,” He started. The woman there looked up, a kind look on her thin and pale face as she replied.

“How may I help you?”

Dan had to give a detailed statement of the previous night to a Child Protective Services worker, along with what they had done this morning. Arin and Suzy gave their statements too, though they weren’t much different than Dan’s description of their morning. Maybe that would be good, though; it could be used as proof that Dan did just make pancakes and talked with the girl.

But they took Amelia into a separate room and had the blinds shut. It had been an hour, and they hadn’t even heard a whisper of words come through the room, and anxiety was eating away at Dan. He held a styrofoam cup with water in it, glancing back and forth between the floor. He held the cup to his lip and began to bite at the cup, trying to fend off the shaking fear in him.

Arin and Suzy sat next to him, Suzy leaning on his shoulder comfortingly and Arin carefully rubbing his back. “God,” Dan started. “Why is she so quiet? What’s happening in there? Is she  _ okay?” _ He asked, half-rhetorically.

“I’m sure she’s fine, Dan,” Suzy said reassuringly. Dan sighed.

“I really hope you’re right.” He said, continuing to chew on the cup. The station was eerily quiet, and it just fed Dan’s anxiety. What if Amelia was right? What if they didn’t believe her? What if they didn’t believe him, either? Or Arin or Suzy? What if they  _ did _ send her back to Jenna? 

What would she do to the kid if she did go back?

Dan’s fretting was cut short as the clicking of high-heels approached, entering the room he and his friends were waiting in. He looked up, seeing a tall and thin woman standing there. She had pale skin with bright red lipstick and the kind of face that made him think of Morticia Addams. She had straightened black hair pulled up into a loose bun, a few strands falling out to frame her face. 

“Are you the ones who brought in the girl?” She asked, looking too serious for Dan’s liking. He stood up, half-hiding his chewed cup in one of his hands as he offered his other.

“Yes. I’m Dan Avidan, nice to meet you,” He said, half trailing off in a prompt to ask her name.

“Harley Wescott, nice to meet you Mr. Avidan.” She said, shaking his hand rigidly.  _ God, _ Dan thought, _ this woman is terrifying. _ He half hoped Amelia didn’t speak to her before, if only to save her from the woman’s glare.

“Thank you. Now, I know this is probably a very strange situation, but I feel I must make it clear that I will do anything I can to keep Amelia in my custody. I do not personally know what happened while she was with her mother, but I will not allow her to go back to that home.” Dan tried to hold confidence in his tone, and sounded undeniably stubborn with the way he spoke. Ms. Wescott didn’t look fazed by Dan determination.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Avidan,” She started. “Amelia gave us a lot of information. This isn’t exactly the place to talk about it, though, so can we move this to my office?”

“Yes, of course.” He said. He turned to look at Arin and Suzy briefly, who were both smiling and giving him a thumbs up. He nodded trustingly before leaving the room.

Arin sighed, hoping with every fiber of his being this turned out okay. Only a few moments later, a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair came into the room, intimidating with his presence as he scratched his stubble-clad jawline. He approached the couple.

“You two come in with the little girl?” He asked to Arin and Suzy. Suzy spoke first.

“Yes, we did. Why? Is something wrong?” Clearly she shared Dan’s anxieties. The man didn’t react.

“No, I don’t think so. She’s asking to see you guys. We’re not going to get much more out of her today, so she could probably use some familiar faces.” The man said, his dark brown eyes looking apathetic. Arin almost rejected the notion of him being a ‘familiar face’ to Amelia, but at second thought, just accepted the fact that she was looking for company, familiar or not.

The man let the two into the room, where Amelia was sitting on an uncomfortable wooden chair in front of a boring looking table. The girl curled into herself, knees pulled up to hide her face, and nothing but her wild curls could be seen from her folded arms.

Arin pulled up two chairs to sit next to the kid, offering one to Suzy. “Hey, kiddo.” Arin started. 

Amelia didn’t reply. 

“Sorry Dan didn’t come in with us. He’s talking with a lady to get you into our - his - custody. You feeling alright?” Again, Amelia was silent. Arin reached out to her, but his hand could barely touch the fabric of her hoodie before she flinched, pulling into herself further. “Sorry,” Arin said, practically on instinct.

Suzy chimed in. “He’s fighting real hard for this, you know. We won’t let you go back there.” She sounded so surreal saying those words, and Arin almost let himself believe he was dreaming for a moment.

Amelia’s voice sounded used and tired. “Do you… Is it going to work?” She asked. Arin felt his heart ache at those words; this girl had been all confidence and snarky comments before this. Now, she sounded small and scared.

Suzy replied to her. “I think Dan would rather let this city go down in flames than let this not work. Everything’s going to end up okay, alright?”

“You don’t know that!” Amelia said, her abrasiveness coming back as she raised her head. Though Arin had expected puffy and red eyes, she looked invigorated. Like a soldier going into battle, she looked fierce and brave. “Don’t lie to me, I can tell.”

Suzy was taken by surprise at first. But she sighed in resignation, turning her gaze to the floor. “Okay. I don’t know what’s going to happen, or if everything will be alright. But I know Dan would move mountains to make sure you end up happy. And me and Arin will be there to help.”

Amelia seemed satisfied with this. She turned back to her knees, tucking the lower half of her face into the warmth there. It was quiet for a bit longer, but Amelia seemed to be more comfortable with the couple in the room.

After so long, the door opened. Amelia jumped for a moment, but seemed relieved when she saw Ms. Wescott and Dan standing there. The fierceness and vigor from before came rushing back as she stood on her chair, trying to make herself look taller (regardless of the fact she was still only at chin level with Dan at that height).

“Listen up, lady.” She started, fire in her brown eyes. “I won’t let you send me to some stupid ass foster home. I’ll just come back to these guys until I can stay with them, and you may not believe me, but I’m one stubborn-ass bitch and I won’t let you-”

Ms. Wescott seemed unimpressed with Amelia’s language. She interrupted her, not missing a heartbeat as she spoke. “Dan Avidan has temporary custody of you. The papers last for three weeks, but by then, we’ll have everything we need for a full custody transfer and, hopefully, an arrest warrant for Jenna Moore.”

For a second, Dan thought that Amelia had gotten lost in the technical stuff. She stood there, looking stunned as she stood.

But as soon as she got her composure back, she was ready. “You could arrest her?”

“Yes, absolutely. If you believe it’s a good option, we could sue her for punitive and aggravated damages.” Amelia got lost for a second before Ms. Wescott spoke again. “Sorry - I forgot you’re only ten. That means we could sue her for hurting you physically and emotionally. She’d have to pay all medical bills that have anything to do with the injuries she inflicted, counseling and therapy included.” She explained.

Amelia seemed to be calmer. She watched as Ms. Wescott  sat down at one of the seats at the table, relaxing over it with a small smile on her face. Amelia still didn’t trust her, though.

“Why are you telling me this? You said it yourself, I’m ten.” It wasn’t that Amelia  _ didn’t _ want to know, she was just confused as to why she was being told.

Ms. Wescott thought for a moment. “You’ve been through a lot. More than most people did at your age. I think you deserve to understand what’s happening for once.”

Amelia nodded, looking considerate of the woman’s words. Dan looked at the kid, wandering aimlessly around his train of thoughts.

_ What’s going to happen to Amelia? What are we gonna do? What if Jenna tries to get Amelia back? What if Amelia gets taken away from  _ me, _ too? What if I’m not a good parent to her? _

That was the one that stuck with him. Out of all of his anxieties, the one that most bothered him was the idea that he wouldn’t be a good parent. Of course, he had Brian to help him with some details, but he’d never cared for a ten-year-old. Arin and Suzy and everyone else could help him, obviously, but Amelia’s childhood had been so different and fucked up compared to everyone at the Grump office. What if no one knew how to help?

Dan pulled himself out of his thoughts when Ms. Wescott addressed him. “Though in foster home cases you’d have to take parenting classes, I’m bending the rules since you’re her father. I also see that you have friends who are willing to care for Amelia, so you don’t have to go through the whole pain of getting government-approved sitters.”

Dan nodded at the woman’s words. She pulled out a notepad and wrote on it quickly. “I’ll give you two my number, so when Amelia comes to a decision about what she wants to do legally, you can call. And, off the record, I’d be happy to help you out if you need advice or an emergency sitter.”

“Thank you so much, Ms. Wescott, you have no idea how much this means to us.” Dan said, heartfelt as she handed the paper to him. The woman smiled, breaking her serious face for the moment.

“It’s no trouble at all. And please, call me Harley.” She said. Dan nodded once again, and Arin and Suzy stood up. “I’ll talk to you later, then?”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you again!”

And with that, Amelia walked out of the room wordlessly with her new family.

 

Once they got out of the station, everyone was hit with the exhaustion of what had just happened. Amelia immediately stopped standing as tall as she usually did, and Arin ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

“I think maybe,” Dan started, climbing into the driver’s seat of his car. “We should skip shopping today and just head straight home. What do you think, Amelia?”

“I like that plan.” She said, leaning over to look at the car’s clock. It was already three in the afternoon.

“We’ll probably order something for dinner, then snack later instead of having lunch and everything. You like pizza?”

A smile crawled on Amelia’s face as she looked down at her feet. “Yeah. I’d like that a lot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to update, and not responding to a couple of comments. The last couple of months have been really tough on me, and I had a huge bout of depression pass through and I couldn't work on this as much as I wanted to. It seems to be clearing up now, so I'm trying to be as productive as possible while I'm feeling okay!
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience, lovelies!


	5. I Hope You Understand

Time passes in strange ways. You can hold a book for five minutes and have traveled an hour, or you can stare at a clock for a day and only have moved twenty minutes. Before he knew it, Dan was blinking open his eyes to the television light, not fully remembering falling asleep but feeling guilty for it. He was curled up on the couch, trying to recall what happened before he fell asleep. He remembered getting home, ordering food, and then turning on movies - he must have passed out not long after that.

Dan shifting on the couch made more noise than he thought it would, and Arin suddenly poked his head out from the kitchen. “Hey, sleepyhead.” He said with a smile.

Dan’s voice was still stained with sleep as he stretched. “You still here?” He asked, then realized how strange the statement was.

“Clearly.” Arin said facetiously. “Suzy and I tucked the kid in after you fell asleep, and I decided to sleep on the recliner tonight. Thought you could use some help.” Dan smiled at his friend, who ducked back into the kitchen. “I made breakfast, too. Better wake up Amelia before it gets cold!”

Dan laughed lightly, standing up and feeling his bones click into place. He walked quietly, and at his bedroom door, he knocked lightly. “Amelia?”

No response.

Dan opened the door slowly, not wanting to startle the kid if she was awake. Instead, he saw her laid down on top of the sheets, red sweater taken off and instead gripped in her hands. Her usual scowl was gone, and instead she looked almost relaxed.

He sat on the corner of the bed, reaching over to carefully touch the girl’s shoulder. “Hey,” he whispered, trying to sound as soft and kind as he could. He didn’t know much about Amelia, but he knew that she was easily scared and he hated to think he could cause that. “It’s time to wake up, sleepyhead.”

Amelia stirred, turning to shove her face into the sweater she held. She looked like a small child, clinging onto their safety blanket as they begged to skip school. Dan was glad it was a Sunday, and he made a mental note to call Harley to ask what to do about school.

But the girl scowled into her sweater. “No. Fuck off.” She muttered, and Dan laughed. Amelia smiled as well, but hid in her shirt. “Need sleep. Go away.”

“Come on, just get some food real quick. You don’t even have to change or shower.” Dan bargained. Amelia considered for a second, then sighed, moving to pull herself off the bed.

“Better be some damn good food.” She muttered. Dan laughed softly and stood up, waiting as Amelia stretched and began to shuffle out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

Arin was already sitting at the table, a plate full of scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit in front of him. Amelia sat down in one of the chairs with a plate in front of it, not hesitating to start eating as fast as she could. Dan joined in, smiling.

“Game plan for today?” Arin asked. Dan glanced at Amelia, asking silently,  _ should we talk about it with her here? _ Arin gave a small nod.

“I was thinking we’d go to Goodwill for clothes, then grab some groceries. Then we need to find out what’s happening with school, and I need to call Brian and everyone to explain the situation.” Dan rattled off the things he needed to do. “Shit, I need to call Deb and Avi.”

Amelia seemed curious, but didn’t say anything regarding Dan’s parents. “What’s your job?” She asked, not looking up from her food.

“Arin and I do a YouTube show. We play video games and joke about dicks.” He said happily. “Brian and I are in a band, and we have another band for video game songs with Arin doing raps.”

Amelia scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. And absolutely expected.” Arin laughed as Dan feigned offense. 

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’re a fuckin’ nerd. And look like someone who belongs in, like, The Killers or something.” She said snarkily, shovelling food into her mouth. Dan laughed.

“Speaking of that, what kind of music do you like?” He asked. 

Amelia shrugged. “Rock, I guess. Green Day, Cage The Elephant, stuff like that.”

Dan lit up. “That’s awesome! I have a few CDs of them, and a whole bunch of stuff I can show you.”

The girl’s lips turned to a small smile. “That’d be nice. Thanks.” She put down her fork and stood up, her food mostly finished. “I’m gonna take a piss and shower, tell me when we’re leaving.”

Dan nodded and let the girl close the bathroom door before pulling out his phone. “I’m gonna call a few people real quick, okay?” Arin just nodded, mouth full. 

Dan figured it would be best to call his parents first. To be honest, he had no clue how to explain everything that had happened, but he still decided to hit Facetime. 

It rang for a moment, showing his face before Avi’s came up. “Hi Dan!” He exclaimed happily, his accent heavy. “How’s it goin’?”

“Good! Is Deb there?”

“Uh, yes, she’s right here. Why? Did something happen?”

“Yeah, actually.”

He explained everything to his parents, answering every question they had. Deb was utterly stunned, and Avi was thoroughly astonished. There was outrage, asking,  _ how could the system so neatly pass her by?  _ The question burned in Dan’s mind, made him bubble at the edges as well. 

Amelia’s unluckiness didn’t allude her, either. She knew well that everything about this was a series of unfortunate events, all leading her here.

The fact that no one cared enough to see her leave.

The fact that not a single police officer from where she had been living to Dan’s house had noticed the ten-year-old walking the highways, alone.

The fact that no one had questioned her temper, her unstableness, her scars, every piece of proof of the abuse she had been pushed into.

It made her bitter. She stood in the shower and looked at her scars, burn marks and nicks in her caramel skin, and she seethed. She knew that she shouldn’t be like this. And it made her boil to brim when she knew that someone could have protected her.

They just didn’t.

 

Dan’s friends were supportive, if not confused, and willing to offer any help they could. Brian said that he and Rachel would be happy to to watch her when needed, and Dan thanked them incessantly. Holly said that she would be glad to help out as well, given that she has a bit of knowledge of shitty home situations. And Ross, confused but still hoping to help his friend, said he would be glad to offer a quiet place away from home.

As Dan drew closer to the last of the calls that needed to be made, his phone ran, an unknown number. 

“Hello?”

“Hi, this is Harley Wescott from Child Protective Services, is this Dan Avidan?” She sounded slightly stressed and almost a little out of breath, as if this was the umpteenth time she’d asked that question.

“Yes, hi Ms. Wescott! I was actually going to call you soon. Did something happen?” Dan asked ask formally as possible.

“Yes actually. I wanted to ask, what has Amelia told you about her home before coming to you?” She kept her voice low, as if whispering a secret into the receiver.

Her tone put Dan on edge, and he leaned against the wall of his house. “Nothing, I haven’t wanted to pressure her into talking. Why do you ask?”

It was silent for a long moment, and Dan could almost hear Harley reasoning with herself before she sighed, giving in and speaking as direct as possible.

“Mister Avidan, were you aware that Amelia was in a foster home when she came to you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back! Back again! 
> 
> I know it's been months since this has been updated, but it absolutely isn't abandoned! I've been struggling with other priorities, so this piece started to call to me as a way to cool off, I suppose. I still have so many things I'd like to get done here, so I'm hoping I'll have a few more updates before I go back to my other big projects!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's made it this far, and for all of your comments!


End file.
